The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

I discovered The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katrina Bivald quite by chance. It was delightful! Originally published in Swedish in 2013, it was published in English in 2015. It's the story of a reader, Sara, who prefers books to people and believes there is a book for every single person. That every single person can be a reader if given the right book to read.

Sara and Amy become pen pals, exchanging books and information about books. Sara, dissatisfied with her life in Sweden, is going to lose her job. Amy invites her to Iowa for a visit. Sara arrives in Broken Wheel, Iowa, just as Amy's funeral is coming to a conclusion. Now what is Sara supposed to do?

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend is a love story. It's a love story between Sara and her books, between the dying town of Broken Wheel and Sara, and between Sara and Tom. It's not exactly chick lit. But if you like chick lit and you love reading books about books, this could be the book for you.

Lots of references are made to books and authors in the novel, most of which I have either read or am familiar with. There have been times in my life when I've preferred books to people. I'm sure you won't be surprised that I found Sara very easy to relate to. Living where I live, I also have a sense about what a dying town might look like and how a new business in town brings a new life to the place. After all the heavy historical fiction I've been reading, it was nice to read something contemporary and light.

While I was reading The Readers of Broken Wheel, I got notification from the library that The Girls by Emma Cline had become available. I'd read about this historical fiction novel in a book review months ago and had to wait this long for the e-book to become available. About an hour or two after this e-book became available, I got notification that A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Outlander #6) by Diana Gabaldon had also become available. I figured I'd finish The Readers, quickly make it through The Girls  and then return to Outlander. After giving  The Girls two days, I think I'd much rather be reading Outlander. The Girls is about a young girl in the late 60s who gets swept up by a cult. There's drugs, violence... and while the plot sounded appealing when I first read about it, right now it seems way too heavy for what I want and need to be reading.

I hate to drop books. I especially hate to drop books that I've waited so long to read. It's just not the right time to be reading The Girls.

I am hoping I can finish A Breath of Snow and Ashes within the two weeks I have remaining before the e-book disappears from my iPad. Next up after this will be Dracula which is the October horror book for Books & Beer Club.